Tierra Nueva &

The Matagalpa Region

“New Land”

Location: El Tuma, Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Size: 1,302 acres for Tierra Nueva

established: February 2011

Primary Activities: Basic grains, coffee, tomatoes, and peppers

History:

The typical family in Tierra Nueva, the largest Agros village, experienced a bleak outlook before partnering with Agros. Most families had been renting land to grow corn and beans for subsistence for decades. In return for the land they rented, landowners took 50% of their meager harvest, furthering the families’ struggle for security. This issue, in combination with droughts, floods, malaria and other unforeseen events, left the families with very little thought for a better future. But it all changed when they learned of Agros through local organizations and family members. Those interested attended meetings to gain a better understanding of Agros and the development model. At first, ten families moved to the land as the others planted corn and beans while the family selection and relocation processes were completed. They lived in three homes that already existed on the land, and though the first season was difficult (a flood destroyed much of the crop), the community laid the foundation for a new sustainable farming village.

Today, the families living in Tierra Nueva are happy because the land is very fertile and there is opportunity where before there was none. The land has an access road and the nearest market is less than twenty miles away. Tierra Nueva is strategically located near three other Agros communities in the Matagalpa region to maximize marketing and training opportunities. Improvements have been made to the roads to improve the market access for the community. A water project was constructed bringing potable water to each home in the community. Previous agricultural activities on the land included raising cattle and growing coffee, sugarcane and basic grains. 13% of the land (172 acres) is forested.

Family Story

The story of Israel and Ilexia, residents of Tierra Nueva, is shared in this video.

Current Information

Each year, the community works through a parcicipatory process to set a plan for what they hope to achieve. These plans are completed by July 1 of each year and updates provided in October, January, and April.